Blog
Olaf Kolkman
:
Internet is all about collaboration

The Internet, as a global system, is a network-of-networks held together by a
spirit of collaboration. When information traverses the Internet it may pass
through a handful of networks, and the network from which the traffic
originated probably has no formal relationship with the network that receives
it. The reason why that works is collaboration, both in exchanging and
carrying traffic from other networks, and in solving problems that may have
originated several hops away.

The basis for this collaboration is a number of open standards and practices
that all the network operators have adopted voluntarily. In fact, voluntary
adoptions is one of the core principles of the
Open-Stand paradigm.

Joining the ecosystem

When you connect to the Internet, you become a part of its ecosystem. Even
more, across the Internet there is no clear line between consumers and
suppliers; every participant is a contributor. That comes with a collaborative
responsibility: you should consider not only how the global system impacts
you, but also the impact you produce on the system through your activity or
inactivity.

This perspective is especially important in the area of security (also see the
Internet Society's recent paper on Collaborative Security).
As an end-user, that means that you do all you can to keep your own systems
secure, to reduce the risk of their be taken over and used to abuse others.
For service providers, that means making specific security features available.
Those offerings and measures may not bring an immediate return on the
investment, and in the short term they may even lead to additional cost. But
they will help to raise the level of security in the system and reinforce
confidence in the Internet.

And therein lays the problem: there is no direct economic incentive for
individual providers to deploy some of these technologies.

Can't their deployment be mandated then? In theory yes, but that approach
would go against one the fundamental and foundational principles of the
Internet: as an organic system, a network of autonomous networks, not built
from a global blueprint but developing in accordance with local needs and
conditions, deployment depends on voluntary agreement and collaboration.
Forcing security and scalability through global mandates may be slow, and may
have unintended side effects. It also assumes that a global consensus can be
reached on a multitude of security issues.

The voluntary collaborative approach, combined with a continuing dialogue with
those who impact and are impacted by certain measures — the end-users,
the policy makers, and the technicians — allows more flexibility and
agility. Measures taken can more easily be adjusted to minimise unintended
adverse consequences.

"The Internet way"

Accomplishing global deployment of secure, resilient, future-proof internet
technology is better done "the Internet way": at the initiative of
individual actors, based on their own decisions and their own leadership; and
through sharing know-how and experience, both voluntary and professionally.

One important aspect in getting new innovations deployed is awareness and
visibility. Deploying these internet technologies is like installing new
plumbing: something has improved, but the water still tastes the same. Leaders
who want to inspire their colleagues to follow suit will have to provide some
visibility into what their innovations brings.

A profound example is the Internet.nl initiative (to be launched soon), in
which the Dutch Internet community, a ministry, and a governmental agency have
collaborated to set up a website that helps to highlight the status of
deployment of key internet technology. The website gives users simple and
straightforward information about their own access to various innovative
technologies.

Some of these technologies contribute to the continued scalability of the
Internet (IPv6 support and transparency of the network), while some relate to
security (DNSSEC, anti-spam and anti-phishing, and support for encryption). By
doing so, the site helps to promote the open standards that will make the
Internet more scalable and more secure. It highlights the leaders, and
provides the followers with tools and know-how.

Olaf Kolkman

Olaf Kolkman is the Chief Internet Technology Officer (CITO) at ISOC
international. He is responsibility for leading ISOC's Strategic Technical
activities, particularly as they pertain to issues and opportunities for
enhancing the Internet's evolution.